Firing UI Employees Would Set a Precedent and Hinder the Literary Community

Strategic Insights -

The University of Iowa is faced with a decision to fire two employees, Drea Tinoco and Cory Lockwood, who have been involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Iowa Republican lawmakers, Randy Feenstra and Taylor Collins, have called for their termination based on videos captured through hidden cameras. The UI's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which has 710 faculty members, stands to lose more than just funding if the employees are fired.

The termination of Tinoco and Lockwood would set a precedent for the suppression of diversity, equity, and inclusion work on campus. It would also hinder the literary community, which has already seen significant losses due to budget cuts. The International Writing Program, which produced three Nobel Peace Prize recipients, has been reduced in size and lost nearly $1 million in federal grants. The Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Youth Writing Project have also announced their closure.

Diversity is the blood of creativity, and the loss of it would stifle the UI's literary community. The University has already fallen in the national rankings of top writing schools, from fifth to ninth, and this decision would only exacerbate the problem.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UI employees, Drea Tinoco and Cory Lockwood, are at risk of being fired due to calls from Iowa Republican lawmakers, Randy Feenstra and Taylor Collins.
  • The termination of the employees would set a precedent for the suppression of diversity, equity, and inclusion work on campus.
  • The UI's literary community would be severely impacted, with the potential loss of diversity and creativity.
  • The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 710 faculty members, stands to lose more than just funding if the employees are fired.
  • The International Writing Program, which produced three Nobel Peace Prize recipients, has been reduced in size and lost nearly $1 million in federal grants.
  • The Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Youth Writing Project have also announced their closure.
  • The UI has already fallen in the national rankings of top writing schools, from fifth to ninth.
  • Diversity is essential to creativity, and its loss would stifle the UI's literary community.
  • The UI's decision to terminate the employees would have significant implications for the literary community and the university as a whole.

Statistics:

  • 710: The number of faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the largest of twelve at the UI.
  • 15,000: The number of undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
  • $1 million: The amount of federal grants lost by the International Writing Program.
  • 3: The number of Nobel Peace Prize recipients produced by the International Writing Program.
  • 9: The current national ranking of the UI in top writing schools, down from fifth.

Sources:

  • Kade Grierson, Opinions Columnist, The Daily Iowan, September 9, 2025
  • Madison Frette, The Daily Iowan, March 1, 2025
  • University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Faculty Members
  • University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Students
  • The Iowa House of Representatives, Senate File 2435
  • Townhall, "Fired over diversity effort: Two Iowa University employees terminated after backlash over 'cuckoo bananas' controversy"